The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1887-08-26
agricultural.
Lime.
By b. PURYEAR. Ii. D.,

" -~
Lime and the compounds of lime
have in all ages largely attracted the
attention of the tillers of the soil, and
opinion as to their value and action has
been various and discordant. Lime in
the form of its carbonate, Il compound
of carbonie acid and lime, constitutes
about one seventh of the rocky crust
of the globe. 1t is really valuable
therefore, its value and its great abund
ance make 1t Il matter of the highest
interest to the farmer.
1t will be our object i'll this article
to show the functions of lime in vege-
table growth, and to explain why III
some cases it satisfies and in others dis
appoints. the hopes of the husband
men.
% Lime is constituted Of the ash
of all plants. The amount of lime III
the ash of plants varies with the plant,
being small in the ash of the cereals,
but quite large in the ash of the grasses
and the wood of trees. The amount in
the ash of hay is % per cent, in tobac-
co 81 per cent. Now, the substances
that constitute the ash of plants being
solid, come, and necessarily, from the
soil. They do not exist, and cannot
exist, in the atmosphere. The same
substances, but in different proportions,
make up the ash of all plants.-lt may
be well to mention them. They potash,
soda lime, magnesia, oxide OF iron, ST.
lica, chlorine, sulphuric and phospho-
ric acids. In some plants, then, nota-
bly, tobacco, the amount Of lime i'll their
ash is more than ii third of the entire
ash, made up as it is, of nine constitu-
ents. Lime then. being il part OF the
ash of all plants, and of the ash OF
many very large part, is an essential
constituent of all fertile soils.
(2.) Lime possesses caustlc or dlsor-
ganizing properties. If we wrap up
lump of lime in il newspape., or IN Il
piece of cloth, we will find in short
time on unwrapping it, that the cloth
or paper will not hold together, it falls
into pieces: it is rotten, as we say. So
in tanning, hair is easily rubbed from
hides that have been duly stepped in a
solution of lime,
In agriculture We make use of this
property of lime in fastening the de-
composition of vegetable matter. When
a heavy sod turned under, or Il heavy
crop of peas, the application of lime is
always indicated. 1t may perform both
the functions we have attributed to 1t,
that is, it may both act rs plant food
itself and also rot the vegetable matter,
which is valuable only as it rots. When
both these objects are accomplished,
the good effects of the application OF
lime will be strikingly conspicuous.
The farmer will be exultant in the re-
suit and enthusiastic in its praise. The
final issue, however, may abate the az
dor of his zeal; perhaps may turn his
praise into malediction. Let us see.
Encouraged by the goods results, he
continues the application. The natu-
raj deficiency of the soil i'll lime Is sat
isfed-is more than satisfied. Hence
the lime will cease to supply want,
and one of the good effects produced
by the first application will therefore
vanish. But more. Lime has done so
well that he thinks its continued ap-
plication all that is necessary to his
continued success. Perhaps he Guilt
Yates his land every year, removes the
crops closely, allows no rest or recu-
peration in Il crop of grass, Dazed by
success, he now falls into damaging
conclusion. Again let lis see. There
is no thick sod. no matted vines, to be
turned under, as he plows his land for
wheat or corn. Still he put on the
lime, but the soil now has lime enough,
and there is but little vegetable matter
to be decomposed by the action of the
action of the lime. Two prime condi-
tions. under which the lime acted so
we'll. are now both absent: of course
the good results do not appear, and the
man is mad-mad with the lime, III
stead of being mad with himself for not
having read the instructive pages of
the american Farmer.
Indeed there are eases, us might be
inferred from the foregoing remarks,
when the application Of lime is posi-
lively injurious. When the soil has
lime enough, and there is very little
Nt1tluDlt W NC l'pcNNs WIN
application of lime is contra indicated.
Lime, in such Il case, would cause the
too rapid decomposition of the small
amount of organic matter in the soil,
using it up before the crop is fully
matured.
Again, we may say i'll this connect
ion, that the mixing of lime with the
natural guanos or the eXcrements of
our domestic animal, is always injuri
Gus. If We take Il piece of muriate of
ammonia, Il compound of muriatic acid
and ammonia. aud triturate it in Il
mortar with little caustic lime, the
pungent oder at once perceived indi-